When a person suffers from back pain, one of their first instincts may be to treat the issue with medication. While this can help in some cases, it rarely has the type of long-term effect that users would hope for. Add to this the fact that both over-the-counter and prescription medicines can cause bothersome side-effects, and it is easy to see why sufferers of back pain are seeking other options. A study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases looked to measure the effect of drugs on spinal pain. Namely, the research was geared toward determining whether NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) had any substantial impact on spinal pain. Not only were these drugs proven to be less-than-effective, they were found to increase a userís risk of gastrointestinal disorders substantially. Since back pain is a very common type of disability, sufferers around the world have sought alternative ways to treat their condition. Chiropractic services are a non-invasive and non-chemical alternative option which people can use to treat their pain. In fact, millions of people visit chiropractors every year to pursue long-term solutions for their back pain. This can help a person get relief for their pain without subjecting themselves to, in certain cases, devastating side effects.

Arthritis is a serious and frustrating condition that affects tens of millions. This type of ailment can make a personís daily routine much more difficult than it should be. Those afflicted with arthritis may have trouble lifting things, and they may even be inhibited from being mobile without facing serious pain. According to the CDC, more than 54 million adults in the US suffer from arthritis. The total number of afflicted individuals has increased by about 20 percent over the past 15 years. Not only is the condition's widespread prevalence concerning to the medical industry, but the lack of attention given to arthritis' status as a serious disability is also alarming.† One of the main reasons that people may be holding off on pursuing solutions for this condition is that the way to handle it can sometimes result in more pain in the short-term. A healthy amount of physical activity has been proven to help reduce arthritis pain. However, since exercise can be painful for someone who is already suffering from arthritis, some people avoid it altogether.† Though movement can be difficult for a person with this type of disability, it can be used to help ease the severity of the issue. The growing number of sufferers indicates that people are holding off on pursuing relief, though doing so could benefit them in the long-term.

Cancer patients deal with a number of symptoms as a result of their condition, one of which is fatigue. This type of issue can be debilitating and frustrating, which causes many people to seek out treatments. While medication is one of the first options most people consider, a study by The JAMA Network suggest other methods may be more effective. During a study involving over 11,500 cancer patients, the effects of drugs and exercise/psychotherapy were observed. In some cases, patients were given both. The results showed a 9 percent reduction in fatigue for those who used medication and a 26-30 percent reduction for those who exercised or received psychotherapy.†† While the exact reasons that these methods seem to be more effective than drugs is not completely clear, experts do suggest that sufferers of cancer fatigue try these methods before opting for pharmaceutical solutions. While some types of exhaustion can be treated simply by getting more sleep, cancer fatigue is different. The study seemed to indicate that factors like the type of cancer had little effect on the results. The same can be said of the age and gender of the patients. While it has long been known that exercise and psychotherapy were effective in treating cancer fatigue, this study (which examined data from over 100 previous studies) indicates these methods may indeed be superior than medicinal options.